Andy Leehttps://wordsbyandylee.com
Bible Reading Plans that Fit Your Busy Life Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:00:11 +0000enhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.8https://i1.wp.com/wordsbyandylee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/cropped-Big-Logo-1.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Andy Leehttps://wordsbyandylee.com
323250911581Let God Settle Your Restless Hearthttps://wordsbyandylee.com/let-god-settle-your-restless-heart/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/let-god-settle-your-restless-heart/#commentsSun, 12 Aug 2018 22:00:11 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=5877 Do you know that feeling of a restless heart? Sometimes we experience it even though life isn’t too bad. Things are good, but we just can’t shake the feeling that something is missing or needs to be fixed. We’ve lost our joy. We’re not happy. The things that used to be fulfilling are not.… Read More Let God Settle Your Restless Heart

Sometimes we experience it even though life isn’t too bad. Things are good, but we just can’t shake the feeling that something is missing or needs to be fixed. We’ve lost our joy. We’re not happy. The things that used to be fulfilling are not.

Other times our circumstances are terrible, and we know exactly why we can’t find peace–or at least we think that’s the culprit. We know what has us stirred up.

What I Do When I’m Restless

Through the years, I’ve learned something about restlessness. When I’m fighting it, I need to seek God.

I need to go to him with my unsettled heart and ask Him for the answer. It’s really tempting to call friends and ask their advice, but only God knows every angle of my life and his plans for it. Only the LORD knows the root of my restless feelings.

So I pray.

I get on my knees and confess my discontentment.

There’s always a root to the restlessness. Confession opens the door to His healing, freedom, and purpose.

I sit on my couch with my Bible and journal open, and I let God speak to me through his Word. If I read a scripture that is speaking to my heart, I underline it, date it, and then write it in my journal.

And I pray some more.

And worship intentionally. I turn on our local Christian radio station, and sing when nobody is listening.

My Restless Summer

This summer proved a restless one for me. I applied for jobs, prayed, cried, and watched the door shut twice. That was hard. It’s why I wrote a post on rejection. I lived it. But something inside wouldn’t settle. The restlessness seemed to be getting stronger.

And then it happened.

A job I wasn’t looking for fell into my lap. A perfect one. Without going into too many boring details, can I just say, “Trust God, my friends.”

If you are restless, trust God is doing something. It won’t be what you think.

Stay-at-Home Moms

This is what I did during those hard years when my kids were home ALL DAY with me. God closed all the doors for me to get a job, so there I was with three beautiful little blessings who required my attention 24/7. So, I prayed! I asked God to help me love that season, love my children more, love our house, love my husband more . . . love wherever our next PCS took us. During those restless years I learned about thankfulness and worship.

Be Thankful

Worship and thankfulness will carry you through any restless season. These two actions don’t always come easy. Sometimes we have to be intentional with our thanks and praise.

Read Your Bible

Scripture is one way God speaks to us, and it’s also one of the things I suggest if you’re struggling with an unsettled spirit. Here’s a Bible reading plan for those restless days.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When we are restless, we often get anxious and impatient. This verse tells us what to do instead of worrying. Write down a prayer thanking God for your blessings and then write down what you hope to come out of this restlessness. What do you really want? It’s okay to ask. God will give you the best answer and His peace.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.

We often become fearful when we’re restless. We feel abandoned, discouraged, or stuck, and that causes the feeling of restlessness. Ask the Lord to show you if you are afraid of something. Write it down. And memorize this verse. Remember, He is with you even in those fearful, restless moments.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Ask the Lord to help you be happy where you are until he moves you on. Pray to love the people around you and the place. Find ten things to be thankful for.

2 Cor. 12:9-10

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” …Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Pray for grace. This has been one of my favorite prayers for a long time. This prayer is freeing and empowering. We need His grace to do the things we struggle with.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Sometimes I’m restless because I feel I’m not doing something well, or I feel I’ve failed. When this happens I ask God to take my failure and use it for good.

Psalm 34:10b

Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

If you are restless, seek God. Seek His presence and His answers. I promise, you will be blessed as you search for Him and desire Him more than anything.

Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Is your restlessness caused by wanting what someone else has? Has comparison taken away your contentment? These are the customs of this world. Transform your mind with thankfulness for what you have. Start a thankfulness jar. Write down your blessings on strips of paper and put them in the jar. Some days you’ll add to the jar, and others you may need to draw from it to remember.

I pray that one if not many of these scriptures spoke to you in the depths of your spirit, that place where only God speaks, way down deep. And those words let you know that He’s got you, and He is faithful to direct you to peace and joy right where you are or where He’s calling you to go.

Last Week of Morning Broadcast

Remember that job I mentioned? While I’m excited about it, I’m bummed that this will be my last week of 8:20 AM ET Facebook Live broadcasts. I’m prayerfully considering when the broadcasts will resume, daily or just once a week, and the time of the day, afternoon or evening. If you have some thoughts or preferences, leave a comment. And meet with us this week! Just follow me on Facebook and mark that you want to receive my notifications. Hope you can join our fun group!

Let’s Pray

I know many are struggling with restlessness because my posts about this topic are found everyday by someone searching for help on the internet. I don’t have all the answers, and God will do what He’s going to do in His own time, but I have experienced His faithfulness through all the years of restless seasons in my own life. This is a topic close to my heart, so I would love to pray for you.

Hold my hands.

“Dear God, before anything, we worship you. Thank you for the blessings you’ve given each of us. Open our eyes to them if our restlessness has blinded us to these good things. Help us be thankful. Help us love the people in our lives and give us the grace we need to take one day at a time seeking you in our unsettledness. Lord, please strengthen our faith to trust you, wait on you, and watch expectantly for the good things you are doing. We love you, Jesus. Amen.

Digging Deep,

Andy

PS. If this post was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/let-god-settle-your-restless-heart/feed/175877You Belong: Three Ways to Find Your Tribehttps://wordsbyandylee.com/you-belong-3-ways-to-find-your-tribe/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/you-belong-3-ways-to-find-your-tribe/#commentsSun, 05 Aug 2018 23:00:28 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=6646We Need to Belong God gave us the desire to belong to something or someone or a plural of someones. He’s a God of relationship, and we were made in His image. Even at fifty-two there is a little girl in me who wants to belong. I’m also acutely aware of others who want to… Read More You Belong: Three Ways to Find Your Tribe

God gave us the desire to belong to something or someone or a plural of someones. He’s a God of relationship, and we were made in His image.

Even at fifty-two there is a little girl in me who wants to belong. I’m also acutely aware of others who want to belong. Maybe it’s that longing in me that can pinpoint it in someone else. Sometimes I’m good at including that person. Sometimes, not so much. I’ve been on both sides of the inclusion line–just saying.

The fact is we all have experienced rejection. We’ve been the last kid to get picked for the team. We’ve tried to participate in a conversation with people we didn’t know and experienced their cold shoulders.

We know loneliness.

We’ve stood in a room full of people knowing we didn’t belong. It’s an awful feeling. It’s awkward until you make some sort of connection with someone in the room.

Even church can be that way, can’t it? But it shouldn’t be.

Knowing to whom we belong is paramount to our identity, and this affects how we live.Click To Tweet

Finding our Tribe

We all want to experience a sense of community. To have a group of like-minded people, speaking the same language, who are on the same page supporting each other as a collective. Sharing ideas, interests and working in harmony — be it professional, personal or other. Who we are creates who we meet — on a deeper level, your “personal reality begins inside of you” — when we are aware of what is going on inside of ourselves and are connected to our core self, what happens to us on the outside reflects this. The people we meet, the people we work with — they all gravitate to what it is that we project. If you want a happy tribe, be happy man.

Did you catch that? Whatever is going on inside us will make it’s way to our outside. If we’re secure, joyful, and we love life, it’s gonna radiate. Those qualities are magnetic. None of us do this perfectly 100% of our days. We will have our restless, struggling seasons. This is why our first member of our tribe has to be Jesus.

Three Ways to Find Your Tribe

Spend time with Jesus. I’m convinced that until we are secure in God’s love, we will be insecure in this world.

Be a blessing to others. Don’t wait for people to reach out to you. Love on them.

Join a Bible study or small group.

We belong to God. We belong to Christ. And we belong to the body of Christ.How does that change the way we live, think, and love? Let’s study these seven scriptures on belonging to help us better understand who and whose we are.

Sneak Peek of Printable with Prompts

Monday: Romans 1:5-: Through Him and on behalf of His name, we received grace and apostleship to call all those among the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.…

What does it mean to you to be called by Jesus to belong to Him?

Tuesday: Romans 7:4: So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

When I read this verse, I realize that my faith is not just for me. I now belong to the body of Christ. How does that affect the way we live out our faith?

Wednesday: John 15:19: If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Jesus has chosen us out of this world. Write down ways the world demonstrates its hatred for us. How do we respond?

Thursday: 1 Thess. 5:5: You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Close your eyes. Can you picture yourself as a child of light? What will you do today as a child of light?

Friday: 1 John 3: 18,19: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence

How do we know we belong the truth? How will you love actively today?

Saturday: Romans 14:8: If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Write a short Psalm of praise or love letter to Jesus.

Sunday: Romans 12:5: . . . so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Do you belong to a body of believers? What role do you play in it? (Read the following verses.)

I pray you know how very important you are to Jesus. I pray you know that you have a role to play in this family. You belong. He picked you out and called you to be on His team. We belong. We are His. Let’s go bless others and invite them to belong to this amazing group of misfits loved by God.

Different Ways to Use this Plan

Print off this post to have the reading list. (The print icon is with the sharing buttons at the top of the post.)

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/you-belong-3-ways-to-find-your-tribe/feed/136646How to Handle Rejectionhttps://wordsbyandylee.com/three-steps-to-handle-rejection-so-it-doesnt-hurt-so-bad/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/three-steps-to-handle-rejection-so-it-doesnt-hurt-so-bad/#commentsSun, 29 Jul 2018 22:00:11 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7623 How young were you the first time you experienced rejection? Personally, I know rejection entered my life at a very young age, probably in kindergarten. But my first vivid memory of this painful human experience happened in middle school. Jason Smith asked me to “go” with him, and I told him I had to… Read More How to Handle Rejection

Last to be picked for the team

Before the struggle with boys, I always experienced rejection on the playground in elementary school. When we lined up to form teams, I felt rejected with every name called that wasn’t mine. The team captains always chose the athletic kids first. Some of you know what I mean. You were last pick too.

All of us knew rejection as kids, and we know it now. As adults, rejection comes in the form of not getting the job, the promotion, or the award. Some of us know the rejection of a parent, spouse or child.

It happens.

And it hurts.

In Good Company

Does it help to know we’re in good company? Maybe not, but I have to remind us that Jesus Himself endured rejection by the very people who also served God, the religious leaders and teachers of the law. That rejection culminated to crucifixion on a cross. I dare say none of us reading this article have faced such brutal rejection from our peers.

I find it interesting that it’s the painful part of Jesus’s humanity–his knowledge of rejection, pain, grief, betrayal, and abandonment which connects our hearts with His. Could rejection be apart of what Paul was describing when he wrote, “For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5).

Jesus gets it. I hope that comforts you.

There are other things we can do to help ease the sting.

3 Steps to Handle the Sting of Rejection

Pray to trust God’s sovereignty and that He wants good things for you. (Jer. 29:11).

Post Romans 8:28all over your home. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Write down a “blessed” list— the things you are thankful for and what good can come out of this rejection.

Faith is all about trusting God. Faith trusts His hand in our lives, and believes He works in all circumstances according to His good purposes. Only God can see the big picture. He alone has walked into our future and knows the outcomes of our decisions and the choices of other people in our lives.

Can we believe that the rejection we faced yesterday, God can use and will use for good?

The enemy wants us to doubt God’s goodness and believe the worst. He uses rejection to discourage us.

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord;lead me in a straight pathbecause of my oppressors.

Rejection is oppressive, but it always hurts worse when it’s caused by people we love. How does knowing God loves you, and He will never reject you comfort you?

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

This is a painful scripture to me. What good came out of Jesus’s suffering and rejection? Write a prayer to Him.

John 1: 11-13

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Christ’s rejection by His people did not stop His power or purpose. How can the rejections we face be used to further our calling or purposes? Ask God how He wants to use your rejection.

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Rejoice always,pray continually,give thanks in all circumstances;for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes this is easier said than done, but there’s a blessing to be found. Worshiping stops the enemy. Thankfulness softens our hearts and eases the blows. Write a prayer of praise and thankfulness to Jesus.

You’re Not Alone! Join our Fellowship

Misery loves company, but so does strength and joy. In fact, when we join together in our struggles and our hopes and faith, we grow stronger, and healthier in our faith. Join me on my daily broadcast via Facebook Live. It’s Monday-Friday at 8:20 AM ET. Simply follow me on Facebook and choose to receive notifications when I go live. There’s a great fellowship building with our friends. Join us!

“Dear Jesus, You of all people know the sting of rejection. You know our hurt, discouragement, and the heartache. Take it Lord and turn it around for good. Give us a vision of the bigger picture. Holy Spirit, help us trust. Put a song of joy and hope in our hearts. Let the rejections we’ve experienced propel us forward to the better plans you have for us. Grant us your shalom, and make us an army to be reckoned with as we worship you. Amen.”

Digging Deep to Live Fully,

Andy

P.S. If you found this post encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/three-steps-to-handle-rejection-so-it-doesnt-hurt-so-bad/feed/27623Identity Crisis: You Are So Much More than You Thinkhttps://wordsbyandylee.com/identity-crisis-you-are-so-much-more-than-you-think/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/identity-crisis-you-are-so-much-more-than-you-think/#commentsSun, 22 Jul 2018 20:52:44 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7615The struggle is real. Our identity is so important to us, but it’s hard to capture our true self in a world constantly telling us who we should be. Rather than who we are in Christ, we let the mirror be our judge, or our circumstances, or the scale. When we were kids we found… Read More Identity Crisis: You Are So Much More than You Think

]]>The struggle is real. Our identity is so important to us, but it’s hard to capture our true self in a world constantly telling us who we should be.

Rather than who we are in Christ, we let the mirror be our judge, or our circumstances, or the scale. When we were kids we found our identity in how others treated us, our grades, or whether or not our daddy told us we were pretty.

But as an adult . . .

Hollywood tells me what I should look like.

Culture tells me I should’ve been a CEO rather than a stay-at-home mom.

And if that weren’t enough, the enemy of my heart places the most negative thoughts in my head. He wants me to keep focused on ME, because he knows if I’m focused on my problems and failings, I’ll not claim my identity as a believer in Christ.

But to find our identity, we need to go backwards. Sometimes we have to know who we aren’t in order to know who we are.

Identity: Who We Aren’t

Isn’t it funny how what we do is how we identify ourselves?

Yet, what we do simply is that- what we do. It’s not who we be. (I know that’s not grammatically correct, but stay with me here.) We get so focus on the doing that we forget about the being.

The world looks for identity in all of the things I’ve mentioned above, and not all those are bad. Our passions and talents do form and shape us, but the problem with finding our identity in any of these things is that they are temporary.

Identity Change

I’ll never forget the day we sold our mini-van.

It was the weirdest thing.

I couldn’t wait to get rid of it, the mom-van decorated with college bumper stickers. But when the day finally came, I felt a deep sadness creep into my soul.

Selling that ugly van closed the end of an era of our family. Gone were the days of cross-country road trips with cheerios, Veggie-Tales, crying babies, and desperate pit-stops during potty-training. (Hallelujah!) Yes, gone were those days.

As I mourned the days I once couldn’t wait to pass, I felt a piece of my identity fade away, but it hadn’t. It simply changed. Actually, I would like to think I’m adding onto the pieces of the puzzle of me.

Insecurities in the Seasons of Change

All my insecurities did not go out the window once I graduated middle school.

It’s a battle I fight daily, but when I put my security in my abilities, or looks, or success, or season in life, my identity will waver.

My security and insecurity both balance on the pinnacle of who I believe I am unless I base my identity on someone constant. In His wisdom, God allows our insecurities so we will seek Him. The rock. The best foundation to build our identity.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we often feel insecure. Those who hide it best often feel it most. But our insecurity is an invitation from God to escape the danger of false beliefs about who we are and find true peace in who he is. Desiring God

This makes me think of Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The word “delight” has been translated from a Hebrew word whose root means to be soft or pliable. Delighting in the Lord, making Him our joy does change our hearts and that changes us.

Identity: Made in the Image of God

The Bible tells us in Genesis 1 that God made man in His image. Can we fathom how beautiful and perfect Adam and Eve were before they chose not to trust God? There was no shame or fear in the presence of God. He walked with them in the garden.

I believe deep inside us that seed is still there.

The image of God is still deep inside us, and the blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells in believers, work to re-birth us into that image, to grow that seed.

“Christian selfhood is not defined in terms of who we are in and of ourselves. It’s defined in terms of what God does to us and the relationship he creates with us and the destiny he appoints for us. God made us who we are so we could make known who he is. Our identity is for the sake of making known his identity.” Desiring God

What God does to us: Forgives us, Frees us, Adopts us

The relationship he creates with us: Children of God, Brothers and Sisters with Christ

The destiny he appoints for us: Destined to be like Christ, heirs of the Kingdom of God, royal priests.

The danger of finding our identity in anything of this temporary world is just that. It is temporary. Beauty fades. Children grow up. Loved ones die. We grow old and retire. Life brings change constantly, but there is One who is constant.

Do you struggle with your identity and stinkin thinkin? Take these verses to heart. Write them out on note cards and put them all over your house, car, work, wherever you need to remember who you are. Pray about them and ask God to help you understand their reality.

Bite of Bread Reading Plan

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

What does this verse tell us our purpose is? Write down your testimony.

Galatians 4:7: So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

What does this verse tell you, you are? Close your eyes and envision climbing on God’s lap. Just sit there for a bit and wait to hear what he wants to tell you. Write it down.

Galatians 5:1: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

What laws have you put on yourself?

1 Corinthians 6: 19,20: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Being a new creation in Christ is being a human filled with Holy Spirit. What would you do differently with this mindset of the Holy Spirit always in you? Write a prayer about this.

1 John 3:2: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Pray for eternal vision for a glimpse of what we will be. Write it down. How does this affect the way we live today?

Colossians 2: 9-10:For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

You lack nothing in Christ, and we have His fullness because of Holy Spirit. What do you feel you lack? Write it down and write a prayer asking for God to show you what stronghold, bitter root, or unbelief is keeping you from walking in that fullness. (I see the fullness as the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.)

Genesis 1: 27: So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God created both male and female in His image. Write down a list of His characteristics, and what that means about you.

Join Our Daily Fellowship

Every morning a whole bunch of us jump on-line and gather together via Facebook to pray, laugh, dig into God’s word, and be encouraged. Just friend or follow me on Facebook and join me at 8:20 ET. The videos can also be found on You Tube, if you need to watch at a later time.

I’m praying for you! I’m praying you experience the breath of God as you incorporate His words into your prayers. Don’t forget the printable!

Digging Deep in Identity,

Andy

P.S. If you found this post encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/identity-crisis-you-are-so-much-more-than-you-think/feed/67615Scripture to Pray When Everything is Going Wronghttps://wordsbyandylee.com/scripture-to-pray/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/scripture-to-pray/#respondSun, 15 Jul 2018 19:24:42 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7599A Way to Pray When You’re Stuck Have you been so frustrated facing problem after problem (after problem) that you couldn’t find words to cry out to God, so you quit praying? Has an illness snuffed out the fire of your faith, and prayer seems a vain attempt to be heard, so, you quit trying?… Read More Scripture to Pray When Everything is Going Wrong

Have you been so frustrated facing problem after problem (after problem) that you couldn’t find words to cry out to God, so you quit praying?

Has an illness snuffed out the fire of your faith, and prayer seems a vain attempt to be heard, so, you quit trying?

Or do you speak the same prayer every day, and you’re stuck on rewind, pray, repeat? You’re bored with it, and you wonder if God is too.

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, I want to encourage you to use the Bible to help.

Ancient words penned thousands of years ago will touch your heart and lift you to heaven’s ear. That’s the eternal quality of the Bible and our God. When we pray using Scripture, I believe it unites our hearts with the heart of the authors and the ultimate Author, God Himself.

God’s Kindness in tough times

I used to get upset at myself when life got me down. I would think, “Why am I so frustrated? Why am I struggling for joy and feel so hopeless at the moment? Everything is relative. This problem could be so much worse!”

I felt ashamed for not being as strong emotionally and spiritually as I thought I should be.

But I distinctly remember the Lord’s kind response when I asked Him about my “failure.” Rather than agreeing with me and berating me for my lack of faith and hope, he said, “Andy, it’s okay. It’s why this is called a “hard time.” If you sailed through these issues without struggle, it wouldn’t be a “hard time” and you wouldn’t need to lean on me, learn and grow.”

Holy Spirit’s counsel was so simple. Grace-filled. And kind.

I began to see any struggle I faced whether it was lack of faith, grieving, or discouragement, gave me empathy for others I didn’t have before. I could minister with the same kindness and grace, and comfort, that God had given me.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:4).

Where Do We Find Comfort?

What is “comfort”? Where do we get it? I think of someone agreeing with me, rubbing my back, giving me a hug, and validating my emotions, when I think of “comfort” but look at the Greek word and it’s meanings:

Paraklesis: The act of exhortation, encouragement, comfort. All of Scripture is actually a paraklesis, as an exhortation, admonition, or encouragement for the purpose of strengthening and establishing the believer in his faith . . . (Key-Word Study Bible NIV).

This is an annotated definition (a definition with commentary), but I love the explanation. According to this commentary, what is a paraklesis to us?

Answer: The Bible.

Have you experienced this too? I know I’m so quick to pick up the phone and call a sympathetic friend, but my first line of defensive and comfort needs to be Scripture. Holy Spirit’s comfort. Wisdom. Truth that sets us free. Promises which give us hope.

I’m praying that the Bite of Bread reading plan will bring such comfort and hope to you as you incorporate these verses into your prayers.

Psalm 116:1-2: I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me,I will call on him as long as I live.

“Lord, Yaweh, I love you. Help me love you more each day. I know you hear me. Don’t let me become discouraged in prayer. Have mercy on me and this situation. I need your hand, your help. Thank you LORD, the covenant God. Amen”

Luke 18:38-39: “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me.”

“Mercy” comes from the Greek word “eleos” which means merciful compassion that heals, restores, and helps. Cry out for Jesus to have eleos on you or a loved one who needs his healing mercy.

“Oh Lord, thank you for your word. The Bible gives me hope. Lord, comfort me in my suffering. Lead me to the promises in Scripture that will comfort me, and give me hope to hold onto during this hard time. (I love Psalm 30:5- joy comes in the morning!)

Psalm 120: 1-2: I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.

“Oh Lord, I’ve been slandered. My name and reputation have taken a blow, but Lord, I know you will save me. Lord, heal my wounded pride and guard my lips and desire to set the record straight. Help me speak life.”

Psalm 115:1: Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

“Dear Lord, I pray you will be glorified in this problem. Let people see your love and faithfulness to me.”

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

“Oh Lord, I know that even in these hard things in my life, you work it out for good. Work ________________ out for good Lord! Help me love you more and live with eternal purpose.”

War-shipping

As I climbed in bed the other night after a series of financial set backs and discouragement that week, I grabbed my Bible on the nightstand. I asked the Lord to speak to me through His word, and this is what I opened to:

Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!…Habakuk 3:17

I smiled. I love when God does that. His word comforted me and reminded me to worship him through this hard time. I went to sleep in peace. Our circumstances hadn’t changed, in fact, they would get worse! But God had given me my strength. He’d given me the verse to hang onto, and I turned it into a prayer: “I worship you God, no matter what. You’ve got this. You are good. Amen.”

Come Join Me!

Every morning a whole bunch of us jump on-line and gather together via Facebook to pray, laugh, dig into God’s word, and be encouraged. Just friend or follow me on Facebook and join me at 8:20 ET. The videos can also be found on You Tube, if you need to watch at a later time.

I’m praying for you! I’m praying you experience the breath of God as you incorporate His words into your prayers. Don’t forget the printable!

Digging Deep in Prayer,

Andy

P.S. If you found this post encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/scripture-to-pray/feed/07599Using the Names of God to Help You Prayhttps://wordsbyandylee.com/use-the-names-of-god-to-help-you-pray/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/use-the-names-of-god-to-help-you-pray/#commentsMon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:23 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=2800Do you feel your prayers are bouncing back from heaven? Would you like to strengthen your prayers and to acknowledge God’s strength, wisdom, power, and faithfulness? If your prayer life could use a face-lift, try praying the names of God. Names are Important to us and to God One day I walked into a hotel… Read More Using the Names of God to Help You Pray

Would you like to strengthen your prayers and to acknowledge God’s strength, wisdom, power, and faithfulness?

If your prayer life could use a face-lift, try praying the names of God.

Names are Important to us and to God

One day I walked into a hotel exhausted from an eight hour solo drive.

“Name?” asked the friendly front desk clerk.

“Lee,” I responded while fumbling with my bags.

Without missing a beat he said, “Oh! Andy Lee?”

It always awakens my senses when someone I don’t know somehow knows my name--not that it happens very often, but when it does, I’m taken aback. My face must have given away my thoughts and he explained he’d just spoken with the head of the conference and gone through the list of names. Even though the list was fresh on his mind, I liked him. He knew my name.

Our names are important to us. Whenever someone calls us by name–especially someone we don’t know, it gets our attention.

I’m not good at remembering names. I always feel awful when I know someone but her name won’t retrieve itself from the cobwebs in my brain. Don’t you hate it when the name comes to you two hours after the encounter?

We know it’s important. If it blesses us for people to know our name, wouldn’t it bless God too? We are made in His image.

Jeremiah prophesied God’s promise:

“….Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

– Jeremiah 29:12

It blesses me to think of attaining the favor of God’s ear.

This verse makes it personal like pouring your heart out to an attentive friend over a cup of Starbucks.

“I will listen to you,” whispers the Ancient of Days looking straight into my eyes.

Though I know this verse was first penned for the Israelites, the promise demonstrates the character of God, and how He works in our lives.

Calling on God’s Names in Prayer

But according to this verse something must happen before God hears us.

We must call upon Him and pray to Him. What does it mean to “call upon” God?

I’m so glad you asked. (Smile.)

It’s more than saying, “Help!” or “Hey, you!” The Hebrew word translated in the NIV as “call upon” is Qara. According to the Key Word Study Bible, Qara:

….Rarely refers to a random outcry. Qara is used to signify the act of naming ...Naming a person may specify that individual’s primary characteristic, be an evaluation, or recognize an eternal truth in the sense of summoning for a specific task. Another prominent usage has to do with calling on the name of God; that is to summon His aid…. (Key Word NIV p. 1549)

God has many names.

God’s names reveal His attributes and how people experience His power and goodness. When Moses asked His name, God replied, “I AM.” This name signifies the One who encompasses all things and can do all things, the One who lives forever, the covenant God YHWH.

Other names of God:

Elohim, God, Mighty Creator,

EL Shadday, God Almighty,

Yaweh Yireh, God Will Provide,

Yaweh Rophe, God Who Heals.

Abba, Father

EL Roi, God Who Sees Me

Just to name a few.

Names of Jesus:

Immanuel, God With Us

Sar Shalom, Prince of Peace

Ga’al, Redeemer

Yeshua, Jesus the Savior

Something stirs within when I begin my petitions to my EL Roi, The God Who Sees Me or to Abba, my heavenly Daddy, or Sar Shalom, my Prince of Peace.

Praying The Names of God Book

One of my most cherished books, one that never gets lost or dusty because I use it for reference often, is Praying the Names of God, by Ann Spangler. If this post stirs an interest in your spirit to know more about God’s names, I recommend this purchase. It’s a keeper. (I’m giving it away! Leave a comment to enter.)

This week we are going to study seven names of God and use them in prayer.

Sneak Peek of the Bite of Bread

Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (ELOHIM)

Genesis 16:13She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seenthe One who sees me.” (EL ROI)

Genesis 17: 1-2 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty walk before me faithfully and be blameless.Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” (EL SHADDAY)

Genesis 22: 13-14Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (YAHWEH YIREH)

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (YAWEH ROPHE)

Matthew 1:22-23 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is givenand the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Daily Broadcast and Giveaway

I’m looking forward to unpacking these special names of God and the scriptures on my Daily Broadcast! I hope you can join us on Facebook at 8:20 ET AM Monday-Thursday. I feel this will be a special week. If you aren’t a Facebook guru, you can find the videos on my You Tube page. If you are on Facebook, join the broadcast to learn how to enter the giveaway of Ann Spangler’s book! I’ll draw for the winner Thursday (July 12, 2018).

Pray

I know many who need to call on the specific names of their God and His attributes as healer, provider, peace, creator, Almighty strength, and my favorite, El Roi, the God who sees me.

He sees you right where you are. He knows your name. Now you know His.

Call on Him specifically. Why wouldn’t God cherish that we call His name? We’re made just like Him–in His image. If someone knowing our names perks our ears, why wouldn’t it His?

Comment and enter the Giveaway!

Which name speaks to your soul? Leave a comment, and I will enter you into the giveaway for Ann Spangler’s book!

Digging Deep to Live Fully,

Tweet love

Bible Reading Plan Calling on the Ancient Names of God in #PrayerClick To Tweet

P.S.S If this post was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/use-the-names-of-god-to-help-you-pray/feed/232800The Struggle for Joyhttps://wordsbyandylee.com/the-struggle-for-joy/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/the-struggle-for-joy/#commentsMon, 02 Jul 2018 01:09:29 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7560 If you’re in the trenches trying to find joy in your life, you are not alone. A few months ago, I wrote about this struggle in an article entitled, “If I’m a Christian, Why Am I Not Happy?” Here’s a piece of that post. It’s a reason why we face this giant: “. .… Read More The Struggle for Joy

“. . . . when the struggle is great, I believe the enemy is worried and doing all he can to shut. us. down! We’re onto him. We know his tactics. They’re getting old, amen!?”

I needed to read that today. Maybe you did too. I hope those words will help as you struggle for your joy, or anguish over a loved one’s joy battle.

Does it help to know Satan has pulled out all the stops because he is afraid of who you are in Christ? He’s intimidated by the plans God has for you, the eternal purposes? His favorite tactic, discouragement, reeks havoc on our hearts. But please don’t give up.

Look at the definitions for “struggle”:

a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack.

a conflict or contest.

“a power struggle for the leadership”

a very difficult task. (Google definitions)

Get Mad

When I read the definitions I was amazed. All three describe spiritual warfare, don’t they?

I don’t allow myself to get mad, or at least I try not too. But I think this struggle is something we should get mad about. It’s good to be mad about being sad.

Get mad at depression. Get mad at the enemy and his schemes and slimy half-truths that send us into the dark shadows. Fight for your freedom! Our lack of joy holds us back. It restrains us. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Our lack of joy is a power struggle for leadership. The enemy wants to lead our future, our thoughts, our failure. Don’t let him! By the power of Jesus’s name we can win this power struggle. It won’t be easy. There may be days that are better than others, but Jesus has won the battle for us. Death has been defeated.

3 Things to Do to Get Your Joy Back

Pull Weeds

I spent most of yesterday freeing my bushes in my back yard from vines that choke out the life of the plants. You can’t pull these vines from the bush until you cut them at the base of the root. Then the vine releases from the foliage, and the bush is free again.

I felt so much better!

Pulling weeds relieves stress, anger, and frustration. You can say “I hate you!” to a weed and not get in trouble.

I could feel some joy seeping through from my victory over the weeds.

Those evil vines are like the thoughts that take away my joy.

Negative thoughts are weeds that need to go. Thoughts of failure and discouragement need to be cut down to the root, but how do we keep them from coming back?

We stop their return with fertilizer. Weeds thrive in unhealthy soil, so the more fertilized the soil, the less likely the battle with these unwanted counterfeits. Our hearts and minds are our soil, and we’ve got to fertilize with the three W’s:

The Word (The Bite of Bread reading plan)

Worship (or as my sister, Venus, says, “WARship.”)

Waiting with Hope trusting God is doing a new thing.

2. Keep a gratitude journal

Our emotions are fickle. Don’t trust them.

Keep a gratitude journal and write down all the good God is doing. You may have to ask Him to show you the good. The other night I crawled into bed after a depressing day which involved a really bad review, a car accident and a dying friend. I thought I would write down all my woes, but I found myself writing about the good in each situation. By the time I closed my journal, my heavy heart had lost a few pounds.

3. Wrestle for the Blessing

Yep. Wrestle. If the peace doesn’t come, wrestle with God for it. I believe God likes wrestlers. He loved Jacob who wrestled with Him all night long. To me, wrestling is not the same as getting mad.Wrestling is determination to find the joy. It’s hand to hand, arm to arm, sweat to sweat, “God, I want your blessing, because only yours is good.”

What Does God Have For You in the Struggle?

I believe God always has something good for us in the struggle for joy. If we ask, He will lead us to the new path, the different way of thinking, and the root of the problem. But the key to this breakthrough is faith in God’s love for us. Janet Eckels wrote in her article about joy:

Happiness ends in time. Joy lasts as long as God’s love. He promised: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9-11). ( CBN.com)

If you find yourself wavering in your security of God’s love for you, you need to go to the mat. Wrestle. Cry out, “Help me believe you love me!”

And dig into His Life giving Word.

Bite of Bread

Palm 37:4:Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Think of the things that you “delight in”. List them one by one. How do they affect you? Do they make you smile, laugh. . . experience joy? As we begin to delight in the Lord, pray to fall in love with him more and more and keep a “delight in the Lord” journal this week. What things make you think of God and smile?

John 15:9: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”

“Remain” also means to “dwell”. Can you dwell on the thoughts of God’s love for you today? List the ways you know He loves you starting with Jesus.

2 Cor. 1:3-4: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

What if God allows our joyless days so we can empathize with others and better minister to them? How can this change the way you get through those hard days?

2 Cor. 1:24: Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

This verse really makes me believe God does want us to know joy. According to it, what is the foundation for our joy? Write down three faith statements. How do these affect your struggle for joy?

2 Cor. 4:18: So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Write down what you see and what God promises for eternity with Him.

1 John 3:1: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Often in my joyless days I feel small and invisible. What does this verse tell us?

Psalm 102: 11-13: My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion,for it is time to show favor to her the appointed time has come.

The Lord loves you. Cling close. Your appointed time is coming. In the mean time, warship.

We Need God and Sisters

Keys to our breakthroughs for joy are:

The desire not to be discouraged and joy-less.

Trust in God’s goodness.

Fellowship with other believers.

If we try to do things on our own, we will not only fail in the end, we will be miserable along the way. That we are dependent on God is not a burden, it’s not a crutch, it’s something to be celebrated. Accepting and celebrating our dependence on God and one another is the key to knowing peace in this chaotic world. Jacquelyn Lynn

Come Join Our Fellowship!

Every week day this week you can join us via Facebook LIVE for our Bite of Bread daily broadcast. Just follow me on Facebook and tune in around 8:20 AM ET. Join kindred spirits as we dig deep into the bite for the day to live fully. This week we will be digging for joy!

P.S.S If this post was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/the-struggle-for-joy/feed/275607 Scriptures On Balance in our Liveshttps://wordsbyandylee.com/7-scriptures-on-balance-in-our-lives/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/7-scriptures-on-balance-in-our-lives/#commentsMon, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:26 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7543Have you experienced the need for balance in your life? Does it seem that it’s impossible to reach? Do you question if balance is even real or good? I’ve asked that same question, and I’ve come to the conclusion that balance is essential to live healthy, productive lives, but it isn’t always pretty. A Humble… Read More 7 Scriptures On Balance in our Lives

I’ve asked that same question, and I’ve come to the conclusion that balance is essential to live healthy, productive lives, but it isn’t always pretty.

A Humble Balance

When I hike up mountains, it’s never graceful. Many times I have to use both my hands and feet to keep my balance as I navigate rocky paths through boulders and uneven terrain. My balance is terrible, so I have to compensate using everything God has given me (arms, legs, hands, feet, and all ten fingers).

On a hike years ago in Glacier National Park I found myself on all fours crawling over a narrow ledge to reach my family already on the other side. The ledge was wet due to the water falling from the cliff above.

Therefore, when we reached the part of the 8 hour hike up the mountain that involved climbing over slippery wet rocks through a small waterfall I panicked. My husband and kids were already on the other side, so I chose the safest way to continue.

I literally got on all fours.

But before I crawled to the other side, before I forced myself to push through my fears, I really wanted to quit.

“I can’t do this!” screamed the voice inside my head. Actually, I think I used my outside voice. I’ve never been so afraid to do anything. This was worse than jumping off the high diving board when I was 8 years old.

But I didn’t want to quit.

I knew I had come this far, and I couldn’t turn around.

So I gritted my teeth, used all available appendages to steady my ascent, and crawled through pounding icy cold water.

I CANNOT BEGIN TO PUT INTO WORDS WHAT PUSHING THROUGH MY FEAR DID FOR MY SOUL THAT DAY.

Ernest Hemingway said, “Courage is grace under pressure.”

My courage didn’t look graceful that day, but I’ve no doubt that it was Grace that got me to the other side. ~Everyday Grace

We Need Humility and Grace for Balance to Climb the Mountains of Life

Life is challenging. Many mountains loom before us, and we can’t imagine how we will make it. Your mountain may be raising children or grandchildren. You may be navigating an illness, job loss, deadlines, debt, a demanding boss, a troubled marriage, or troubled teenagers.

Maybe your mountain is loneliness.

Maybe it’s grief.

How do we balance the good, the bad, and the ugly in our lives?

I’m going to give you some practical answers and then the spiritual ones that will help with the practical. We can’t ignore the fact that our mind, body, and soul are all connected. The way we care for each of these areas in our lives will affect the other two. I’ve found in my life, my best days were the ones when I included exercise, Bible study, and intentional worship.

5 Practical Ways to Find Balance in Your Life

1. Feed your body and soul.

Start every day with breakfast for your body and your spirit. This includes eating a healthy morning meal (not sugary cereal; think protein) and spending time in the Word. (You’ve got an easy Bible reading plan right here!) I know this is hard if you’re a mom with small children. You may have to eat your spiritual breakfast during nap time. It doesn’t have to be hours long either. Can you spare 10-20 minutes? It will be worth it!

2. Exercise your body and spirit.

Ya’ll, I’m preaching to myself too. I do great for about two weeks and then something happens like travelling, and I am not good at getting back into the rhythm of exercising. But when I do, oh man, do I feel better! My muscles may be screaming at me, but my spirit is lifted, and I have more energy to do what I need to do. I suggest 20 minutes, 30 max. Doctors recommend working out at least 4 times a week, but personally, if I miss one day, I’m less likely to be consistent.

Walking is the best exercise. Get outside! Put worship music in your ears and you are multi-tasking. Nothing like exercising your body and soul worshiping the one who told the sun when to rise.

3. Spend 20 minutes on household chores daily.

These chores may be on the inside of the house or the outside taking care of yard and plants. If I work a little bit every day on those chores, they aren’t such big mountains when the weekend comes.

4. Practice saying no to busy. (This involves humility.) We can’t do everything.

It’s called a Sabbath. It means to cease from working, and in the Old Testament, the Sabbath lasted from sunrise to sunset. Yes, we live on the other side of the Cross, but this rest demonstrates our trust in God’s wisdom, our obedience, and our humility that the world really won’t stop revolving if we take a day off. This is a principal, no longer a specific command. It doesn’t have to be on Saturday or Sunday, but we need a day set aside to rest. This too must be intentional. It is imperative to our balance. Work hard and then rest hard. Here’s my article last week on rest and the Bible reading plan.

And that brings us to this week’s Bite of Bread Bible reading plan which you can use for step 1–feeding your soul.

Monday: Ecclesiastes 3: 1: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Does this scripture give you grace in the balance? Does it help you see how important it is to live one day at a time and to balance the good with the bad, the hard with the easy. List the things in your life that were hard and how they changed in the next season. How does this help you today with the hard things?

Tuesday: Isaiah 28:24: When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually? Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

If you kept reading this passage, the answer is no, of course not! The farmer plows the field, prepares the soil and then plants the seed. What have you been so focused on doing, working, that you haven’t noticed that you need to stop that and plant some seeds? Where will you sow seeds of love, joy, peace, and grace today?

Wednesday: Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

What is the balance Jesus is talking about in this verse? How does it apply to your life?

Thursday: Micah 6:8: He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

This is where heaven and earth meet. How balanced is your faith in light of this verse?

Friday: 2 Thess. 2:16: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Write down a prayer of thanksgiving for His grace, and ask Him for His empowering grace to do all He has for you today.

Saturday: Deuteronomy 15:10: Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

This scripture is about the blessing and balance of giving cheerfully and working diligently. Have you given to someone hoping God would bless you while you sat on your hands? Do you think this verse still applies today? Why?

Sunday: Luke 10:40: But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

The balance. We need to work, eat, and serve, but we also need to sit at His feet. Jesus said, “Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her.” Make some extra time for Jesus today.

Giving a book Away!

Just leave a comment at the end of the post sharing what has helped you find balance in your life, and I’ll add your name to the drawing.

FB LIVE Teaching Everyday, yes I’m Crazy.

Join me and other kindred spirits for fellowship and soul nourishment. Meet us on Facebook M-F at 8:20 to dig deeper into the “verse-bite” for the day. Share the broadcast to gain more entries into the giveaway. I’ll draw the name of the winner on Friday (June 29) LIVE!

Digging Deep with Balance,

Andy

P.S If this post was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/7-scriptures-on-balance-in-our-lives/feed/107543Rest for a Deeper Faith Walk and More Productive Lifehttps://wordsbyandylee.com/rest-for-a-productive-life/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/rest-for-a-productive-life/#commentsMon, 18 Jun 2018 00:19:48 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=7531I think of “rest” when I think of summer. It’s the season of vacations, hammocks, and slowing down. But summer was only like that when I was seven. The lazy hazy days of summer no longer exist unless I intentionally make them days of rest. Life is like that; isn’t it? We have to be intentional… Read More Rest for a Deeper Faith Walk and More Productive Life

I think of “rest” when I think of summer. It’s the season of vacations, hammocks, and slowing down.

But summer was only like that when I was seven.

The lazy hazy days of summer no longer exist unless I intentionally make them days of rest.

Life is like that; isn’t it?

We have to be intentional about everything that’s important to us like spending time with our significant others, our friends, or children.

Rest is important. It affects our health and our moods.

I’ll never forget when my children finally began to sleep all night. I got up one morning and thought, “I can be a good mommy! I’ve just been tired all of this time!”

Yet resting doesn’t only involve sleep or sitting on the beach catching some vitamin D. Many of us are striving in other areas in our lives where we really need to take a break from the worry and work and let God do His thing.

3 Places of Needed Rest

Weekly, physical rest

Rest was commanded by God. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day be keeping it holy. . .” -Genesis 2:3. This rest demonstrates our trust in God’s wisdom, our obedience, and our humility that the world really won’t stop revolving if we take a day off. This is a principal, no longer a specific command. It doesn’t have to be on Saturday or Sunday, but we need a day set aside to rest. This too must be intentional. It doesn’t mean you have to sleep. Watering my plants, reading, and staying away from my computer is resting for me.

Emotional rest, not worrying.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Phil 4: 6,7 I know, it’s easier said than done, but simply ask yourself how God can use what you’re worried about for good? If the very worst happens, how could God use it?

Salvation rest,

No longer striving to earn salvation.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2: 8-9

Nothing we do earns our eternity. All that we do like reading our Bible, loving God and other people, worshiping and attending a Bible study or worship service all draw us closer to Him, but He paid the price for our sins. He redeemed us. God is not disappointed with you. He loves you.

Bible Reading Plan

This week we will focus on these three areas where we need rest and how they can deepen our faith walk to make our lives more productive.

Sneak Peek of Verses and Prompts

Psalm 46:10: He says, “Be still, and know that I am GodI will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Is it hard to be still? Is it hard for your mind to be still? Take a deep breath in, fill your lungs, and hold it
for three seconds. Let it out slowly. Ask the Lord to clear your mind and help you be still for five minutes
listening for him.

Exodus 33:14: The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Practice his presence today. Write a prayer thanking him for being with you and asking for eyes to see
him and ears to hear his voice. Picture him sitting in the car with you and walking in Walmart. Ask him
for guidance and grace when you run into difficulties.

Psalm 3:5: I lie down and sleep;I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

As you lay your head down to rest at night, repeat this verse. Memorize it this week and wake in the
mornings thanking him for your rest.

Matthew 11: 28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Write down the two greatest commandments according to Jesus. That was his yoke.

Psalm 91:1 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Do you have a hard time trusting God? Journal your thoughts and a prayer to trust him in deeper places.

Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Journal your worries and reasons why you can trust him. Close the journal, set it down, and know that
you’ve deposited those worries to him. He’s got it.

Psalm 62:1,2: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. God’s grace is found in Jesus. Grace can’t be earned. It can
only be received. You cannot be good enough. He loves you. Bask in that love today. Sit still and picture
climbing into the Father’s lap. Rest there.

Take a deep breath and read God’s promise to Moses in Exodus 33:14.

They are great words, but they mean more than our translations reveal.

There is so much going on in the context of this scripture (Exodus 33).

Do you know why God promised to go with Moses?

Only a few verses before, God had told Moses and the Israelites that He would send a warrior angel to go before them to help them take the Promised Land, but He would not be going because He didn’t want to get mad at them on the way and kill them because they were a “stiff-necked” people.

Stiff-necked.

Unthankful. Fearful. Always wanting to go back to Egypt, people.

But when God said He wouldn’t be making the journey with then, they mourned and took off all their “ornaments” and humbled themselves., and after that God told Moses He would go.

Read the scripture image again. What did He promise to give Moses?

Rest.

But God Promised More Than Rest

The Hebrew word, Nuhal means “rest,” but it also means “settle.” The Israelites needed a home.

They had been camping for a long time since their escape from Egypt, but they didn’t trust God. Read Numbers 13 and 14.

Only Joshua and Caleb believed God would help them take the land. The others spread fear and false rumors that caused the people to rebel (again), and not trust God or Moses, and stomp their feet demanding to go back to Egypt. Because of their refusal to trust God, they wandered in the desert for forty years. They didn’t believe or accept God’s rest. So, they didn’t get it.

We look at their story and shake our heads. “Those silly Israelites!” we say, but there is so much to learn from this story. We are just like them, aren’t we?

Everything in the Bible has been written for us to glean and apply.

I’m learning:

I must trust Him even when fear makes me want to run back to the safety of where I’ve been. If He’s led me there, He’ll make the way.

Resting in His Word and trusting that He’s taking me to a good place is essential. Even when it looks scary or there are battles to fight, I must trust. God’s will is not always easy.

If I don’t obey, trust, and go forward with His Presence, the calling, the dream, the Promised Land will take longer to get to.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” does not mean we get to go take a nap. This verse promises that He will walk us to the next place to settle. Maybe that’s a literal place or a figurative place, a job, a season in life, a calling or a dream.

Resting in Him deepens our faith walk, and that makes our life more productive. We will get to where He is taking us.

Worry blinds us to His blessings.

Trying to do it on our own hinders us from receiving all He has for us.

Remember: Keep your neck loose, my friends!

Do not fear. Trust =Rest.

He’s leading us to good places.

Listen to this great teaching by Graham Cooke about Rest. (It’s about 9 minutes.) He talks about “rest” being a weapon. Pour some tea, take off your shoes, sit down, and close your eyes as he speaks.

God loves you. Let Him love you.

Digging Deep in Rest,

Andy

P.S If this post was encouraging, and you don’t want to miss any Bite of Bread reading plans and posts, subscribe today! You’ll receive a 22-Day Devotion on Psalm 119 called Finding the Beauty {Full} in God’s Word.Just click here to dig deep to live fully.

]]>https://wordsbyandylee.com/rest-for-a-productive-life/feed/37531How to Defeat Depression and Restlessnesshttps://wordsbyandylee.com/bible-reading-plan-for-depression/
https://wordsbyandylee.com/bible-reading-plan-for-depression/#commentsMon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:10 +0000http://wordsbyandylee.com/?p=6750Depression and Restlessness Engulfed Me One day when I was up to my eyeballs in diapers and bottles, sippy-cups and Cheerios, I sat on a beach with my best friend. It was a beautiful day. Life appeared perfect, but the tears would not stop. Life was a struggle for me. Restlessness refused to leave me… Read More How to Defeat Depression and Restlessness

One day when I was up to my eyeballs in diapers and bottles, sippy-cups and Cheerios, I sat on a beach with my best friend.

It was a beautiful day. Life appeared perfect, but the tears would not stop. Life was a struggle for me. Restlessness refused to leave me alone, and depression sucked the “blessed” out of my blessings. I felt guilty. I had so many blessings.

I wrote about this day in the preface of my book,A Mary Like Me: Flawed Yet Called, because at that moment of self-pity, my dear friend reminded me to worship. It was a turning point in my life. Her words were something like, “Sing, Andy! Sing!”

I knew that worship needed to be done whether you felt like it or not through out the day. But I needed a friendly reminder.

As we sat in the hot Carolina sun that day I remembered . . .

“I knew what she was telling me. She was reminding me to worship the Creator who had formed the very waves rolling toward my feet, and who gave those waters their boundaries. She was reminding me to worship my Savior who had given me hope of everlasting life. She was telling me to take my eyes off the holes in my life and worship the God who alone could fill them with his perfect desires.

So, I sang, even though the singing didn’t magically make me feel better. But that day of worship has become a lifetime of intentional worship and the centrifuge where clarity and vision could rise to the top above the struggles of life.” (A Mary Like Me: Flawed Yet Called p. 14)

Worship with good music to chase depression

Playing worship music throughout the day when I was struggling, was key to my healing. There are so many good songs out there these days! I found a link to a Pinterest board that is filled with worship playlists. Check out these 21 Worship songs from Brittany Moses on her faith and wellness website.

More than a song to lift depression

We automatically think of music as worshiping, and I love it, but there is so much more.

Pastor Daniel Walters clarifies the difference between praise and worship.

Are you ready to dig deep into the Word this week and learn about worship and lift those soul shadows and restless spirits? Let’s find out what the Bible says about this way of life.

Sneak Peek (Longer Bites than Normal!)

1 Chronicles 16:23-31:

Sing to the Lord, all the earth;proclaim his salvation day after day.24 Declare his glory among the nations,his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;he is to be feared above all gods.26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,but the Lord made the heavens.27 Splendor and majesty are before him;strength and joy are in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;bring an offering and come before him.Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness.30 Tremble before him, all the earth!The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

John 4:21-24: “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Exodus 20: 2-6:“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.“You shall have no other gods before me.“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Psalm 99:9: Exalt the Lord our Godand worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.

Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Samuel 15:22: But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Revelation: 4: 8-11: Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever,the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Printable and Prompts

Click here for the free printable with these verses and extra questions and prompts for each day.

The Power of the Bible against Depression

John Piper wrote a great article on depression and how God can work in our dark days. He acknowledges that our sleep habits, exercise and what we eat can also affect our moods, yet sometimes the dark days are a spiritual battle God allows to strengthen us. But God has given us a source of strength.

God’s word, the Bible, is specifically designed for these seasons of testing. “For whatever was written” — this is amazing; this is sweeping — “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance” — there’s the key word: the endurance, or getting through tough things — “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). If you can, insomuch as you can just make it a few verses, be in the word every day. Even though you don’t feel like fighting, give yourself that medicine every day.

If the idea of God testing us bothers you, I loved this article by Lori Hatcher. She writes about the testing of Abraham, Joshua, and Hezekiah. In her words, the testing is for us, for our hearts to make a choice of who we’ll worship and serve.

Times of testing, when circumstances are overwhelming and God seems far away force us to make a choice: will we believe God’s promises, or will we allow our circumstances to steal our faith?

The Power of Fellowship to battle Depression

You don’t have to do this alone. Each morning on Facebook I teach Bite of Bread for the day. Join me and fellow believers at 8:20 ET through Facebook Live for fellowship and prayer. I’ll be coming from the plains of Southwest, OK on Monday! This is one of my favorite subjects, so I CANT WAIT! I share the broadcast on my Facebook author page and You Tube also if you can’t watch at that time. Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss a teaching.

Breaking Depression Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Be patient. Be consistent. And be hopeful. Depression doesn’t disappear overnight. But God loves you. He wants the best for you. (Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11) And there is a battle going on to try to keep you from your destiny.